Annular segmental welding head



April 14, 1953 o. R. SMITH ANNULAR SEGMENTAL WELDING HEAD 2 SHEETSSI-IEET 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1948 April 14, 195:3 o. R. SMITH ANNULAR SEGMENTAL WELDING HEAD 2 SHEETS-Sl-!EET 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1948 Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNITED OFFICE #:6345633 :ANN-ULAR QSEGMENTAL ELDING LHEAD OIiVer R. 'Smith,Fort"Worth, "Tex. ApplicationrEebruary 10,, 19.48,, fieriaLNofljBOil This'inventlon relates tonngannular'segmentdl welding head.

An object .of theinvention .is to-proyidea weldingjhead .of the character described shaped 3170 :surround pipe ,or cylindrical adapted for welding together the abutting ends of pipe in the construction of apipeline.

"The weldingllhead. is illustrated fforuse in connection with pipe welding machine of substantially'the sameconstructiomasthattype of Welding machine illustrated inmy co pending application .for Pipe Welding Machine "filed in "the United States 'Patent Ofllce on September *29, 194 under 'Serial ,No. "5565 143, :now Patent .No. 2.501242.

"It is another "object of the present invention 'to "provide ;a welding head 'of the characterdescribed which "is forme'd of sections which may be readilylatched'around, orremoveddrom, the p'ipe and which is equipped with *annularly -:arranged inwardly "directed nozzles for "projecting 'fiames against the abutting pipe 'ends to be welded together.

A further "object of 'thepresen't*inventionds to provide a welding "head which includes a clamp ring to surround and to be clamped to the pipe with a "gas distributing ring mounted on the clamp ring .insuch -manner that :the distributing ring :may be oscillated .circum'ferentially ro'f the "clamp :ring, said #dis'tributing ring containing chambers with which the *nozzlesrcommunicdte and which, in turn, are in communication with a-source 'o'f fuel-supply.

The gas distributing :ring is Tformedof "sections so that it-willopenandclose with ltheclamp-ring. the gas chambers of =saidsections': being connected by afiexible hose, preferably fformedzof metal.

Otherobjects :andndvantages \rdllibeappa-rent from :the following :specification whichis illustrated by the accompanying drawings, 'rvherein:

Figure l is :a .elevationaliviewnf-warpipeiwelding machine showing :the welding head tm'ounted for use in connection therewith,

Figure :2 is:an end view thereof-"clamped about ;a pip,e.

Figure .3 .is an elevational view f the welding head.

Figure 4-: is;a;side elevation :thereofip art1y:in sectiomand Figure 5 is a i ragmentary; sectional wiew -taken on. ,the'jline 5-:5 of Figure-'4.

Referring new more :particularlyto the drawings wherein likehumerals of reference desi nate -.the sameparts in each of the figures, the :nu-

r i, .l a: and :2 1a. cdesignateithe -:c.omplemental sections, respectively, of the :frame 'IREmbGIS-IQf objects .andspecially together.

:surroun'd so that "said move therethrough.

:ing piston rods nectedito'the other frame membeig'as illustrated in the co-pending application "above "referred -to.

"Claims. (Cl. TX- 34) the welding machine. Thu-sections i, I11, and complemental sections s2, zmare pivoted together, atone .end,- on;a .pivot pin, as 3. .These respective .complemental ,zsections are of general .arcuate shape and at their other ends that may be' latched together 7 around the .pipe .by similar latch bolts, as '4 and 15, which, :as :s'hown, are pivoted "to the sections 1a,. 2a and maybe fitted between spaced lugs 6, T5 and 1, I on the corresponding .endsof the sections 1, 1'2 andsecuredJinlatChed position by nuts '8 and 9 threaded onto the ends of said datchibolts.

These frame members surround :the adjacent ends of the respective pipetsections .to'ibe welded In the present illustration ithese sections are designated by'the numerals It and ,H and preferably their ends will "be beveled, :as shown inFiguretl. lhe insidediamter of these frame members is somewhat greater than the outside diameter .of "the pipe sections which :they i ipe sections :may readily Mounted between the :Irame-members are the jacks I2, I 3 comprisingcylindersattachedto one of the :frame members with pistons therein hav- -whose outer ends "may 'be con- Fluidrmaybeintroduced into the cylinders *from any suitable source of pressure through the supply line it and "the branch lines 15, 1 6- to force theiframe' members apart and said pressure *may he :relieved any conventional manner to allow said frameimembersto move tow-ard 'each "other.

There are the "pipe :clampscomprising the com- -plemerital sections I1, i'laan'd 1'8, 1 8a. 'Thesesections are arcuate in shape :and :are rpivoted -,to

gether, "at-one en'd, on the pivots, :as :19, eandrmay Zbe' latched together at their :other ends bythe 'latch boltsfifljzl whicharopivotoa to the sections lla, 1 8a, :respectively, :and are adapted -:to :fit abextween spacedilugs.'22,i22:and123, 2:3 carried by the corresponding sections I] and '18. .Theyimayi'be secured in .:closed position by :.means .of :the nuts :24, .25 threadedpnto-the latch'boltsizmzl. {The clamps .l l, :lfla and L18, 1180. are arranged :on opposite sides ;:of Jzhe frame members 2 :2a. The sections I and 11B are connected by the :bolts 25, L2t:,and"the;sections Ia, li ac-are connectedby-the bolts 21, 21. These bolts pass loosely throughou- ,,-larg.ed openings in the sections 1 1,, 2 and 11a, 2a,

respectivelypso thatthey :will .notibin'd when the machine is .nnlatched and swun op The sections .of the .frame members 2, =20. .are connected- .120 the corresponding .sections .of the 'clamp'members .11, Ha by bolts 18., .23 and.29 ,.29

3 which have enlarged heads to engage the sections 17, Na and are threaded, at their other ends, to receive retaining nuts, such as 30, 3|.

From the foregoing it is apparent that as the frame members are forced apart, by the hydraulic jacks, the clamp members will be drawn together. These clamp members engage the corresponding pipe sections 5 l and I2 and force their ends together under constant pressure while the heat is being applied.

Dovetailed into the respective sections 11, Fla and I8, [8a of the clamps are the pipe gripping jaws 32 whose inner surface may be knurled or roughened so as to engage the corresponding pipe; also their outer faces are tapered and contact with the co-acting tapering faces 33, of the clamps I1, Ha and I8, I3a so that as the clamps are drawn together the jaws 32 will be forced inwardly into secure engagement with the corresponding pipe as fully explained and shown in said co-pending application.

'-.When the pressure is relieved in the jack cylinders l2, IS the pull on the clamps will be relieved so that they may be readily released from the pipe.

In order to heat the adjacent ends of the pipe to fusion point the welding head, shown in Figures 3 and 4 has been provided. This head includes the sections 34, 35 of a clamp ring, said sections being arcuate and hinged together, at one end, by the hinge 35 and latched together, at their other ends, by any conventional type of releasable latch, as 31.

Around, and mounted on, this clamp ring there is a gas distributing ring formed of arcuate sections 33 and 39 Whose ends are spaced a distance apart. The forward end of the clamp ring sec- ,tions are formed with external arcuate flanges 40, 4E against which the corresponding sections .38, 33 of the distributing ring abut and the outer, or rear end of the distributing ring is formed with inwardly directed flanges 42, 43 which abut the rear, or outer end of the corresponding clamp ring sections 34, 35. The flanges 40, 4| have arcuate slots 44 therethrough, concentric with said clamp ring and bolts, as 45, extend through said slots and their inner ends are threaded into the corresponding sections of the distributing ring and on these bolts in suitable grooves in. the clamp ring sections are the roller bearings, as 46, so that the distributing ring may be turned back and forth a distance equal to the length of the slots 44. These bolts 45 maintain the clamp ring and distributing ring in assembled relation. Also the clamp sections 34, 35 have arcuate bearings 47 therein equal in length to the slots 44 and mounted on the corresponding sections of the distributing ring there are the rollers 48 which run in said bearings so that the distributing ring may be readily oscillated back and forth. Each section of the distributing ring is formed with an arcuate gas chamber 49 and screwed into said sections are the nozzles 50 whose free ends are inwardly turned. These inwardly turned ends of the nozzles are directed toward the center of the head and are substantially of equal length so that they will be spaced equally from the joint to be welded, as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As the ends of the pipe sections Hi, II are pulled together by the welding machine above described fuel may be admitted to one of the chambers 49 and thence to the other chamber through a flexible metal hose 5| connecting said chambers and forming a hinge by means of which the sections 38, 39 may be opened and closed as the sections 34 and 35 are opened and closed.

The gas admitted to the chambers 49 will be discharged through the nozzles 50 and when ignited will cast a flame against the adjacent pipe ends while they are being pulled together by the machine and in order that the weld may be uniform all the way around the distributing ring may be oscillated back and forth.

The fuel may be admitted through the lines 52, 53 to a common connection 55, which forms a handle for oscillating the distributing ring, and thence into the chamber 49.

The lines 52, 53 are controlled by suitable valves 55, 53 by means of which the fuel mixture may be regulated. v

' The drawings and description disclose what is now considered to be a preferred form of the invention by way of illustration only while the broad principle of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An annular welding head comprising, a clamp ring formed of sections hinged together at one end and whose other ends are connected by a releasable latch so that the clamp ring may be closed and secured about a pipe or opened, each of said clamp ring sections having an externalradially extending flange, a distributing ring formed of .sections mounted for circumferential oscillating movement relative to the respective sections of the clamp ring in laterally abutting relation with said external flanges, each of said distributing ring sections having an inwardly radially extending flange positioned in later-ally abutting relation with a radially extending face of. the corresponding section of the clamp ring, the sections of the distributing ring having internal chambers and a flexible hose connecting said chambers, nozzles on the respective sections of the distributing ring connected into the corresponding chambers and whose free ends are directed toward the pipe surrounded by the head, a fuel inlet connection through which fuel is admitted into one of said chambers, said connection forming a handle, one of said rings having a circumferentially extending slot, means on the other of said rings engageable in said slot -to limit circumferential movement of said dis- 50 tributing ring relative to said" clamping ring.

2. An annular welding head comprising, a clamp ring formed of sections hinged together at one'end and whose other ends are connected by areleasable'latch so that the clamping ring may be closed and secured about a pipe or opened, each of said clamp ring sections having an external radially extending flange, a distributing ring formed of sections positioned on the respective sections of the clamp ring in laterally abutting relation with said external flanges, each of said distributing ring sections having an inwardly radially extending flange positioned in laterally abuttingrelation with a radially extending face of the corresponding section of the clamp ring, one of said rings having acircumferential groove therein and bearing means in the groove and supporting said distributing ring for circumferential oscillating movement on'the clamp ring, the sections of the distributing ring having internal chambers and a flexible hose connecting said chambers, nozzles on the respective sections of the distributing ring connected into the corresponding chambers and whose free ends are directed toward the pipe surrounded by the headfa fuel inlet connection through which 5 fuel is admitted into one of said chambers, said connection forming a handle, one of said rings having a circumferentially extending slot, and a connecting member extending through said slot and connected to the other of said rings, said member being engageable with the ends of said slot to limit circumferential movement of said distributing ring on said clamping ring.

OLIVER R. SMITH.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Sackerman Sept. 16, 1919 Number Number 6 Name Date Trost Nov. 16, 1920 Halle Sept. 9, 1930 Bell July 14, 1936 Muehl Nov. 1'7, 1936 Rockefeller Sept. 10, 1940 Hughey Aug. 12, 1941 Vallee Feb. 10, 1948 

